I got a day off in the middle of the week, too, but it wasn't due to snow! Today is National Founding Day in Japan, which as far as I can tell, is like Independence Day in America. I asked if there was anything special I should be doing to celebrate, like visiting a shrine or randomly throwing beans, but my co-workers said no. According the my research, this holiday is still quite controversial in Japan and at the most people will fly a flag. It's not appropriate to show your patriotism in any other way. So I used my free day to sleep in, call some friends, stay in my PJ's till the afternoon, and finally I decided to get a haircut!!
It's been 4 months since my last haircut in Kentucky, and that seems like FOREVER to me!! I've been researching places online for a few days, and I finally picked a salon that had a website in English and says they can accommodate gaijin (foreigner) hair. When I called, the receptionist had a repertoire of about 6 English words, but I managed to figure out that she had availability today and wanted me to come in at 5. Perfect, except today was laundry day, and I had NO clothes to wear, and no way to dry them!!
So I was forced to wear my "house" clothes: sweatpants and a t-shirt. As it turns out, my sweatpants might be okay for shuffling around my apartment, but they would not stay up as I walked to the train station. That is the one pair of pants I did not replace with a smaller size when was home at Christmas... When I reached the train station, I was forced to roll the waistband a few times like a high school girl just out of necessity! Looking back, I suppose I could have worn work clothes, but seriously it's my day off!
Without too much trouble, I found my hair salon. I was still 15 minutes early, but they knew exactly who I was and started taking care of me. First, they gave me a towel to wipe my face off with... but I don't recall being sweaty or dirty! Then a girl came over to take my purse and coat (which I never saw again until it was paying time) and said she talked to me on the phone. She apologized for her poor English. I told her she did fine! They all kept commenting on my short sleeve shirt and bringing me blankets, but like all Japan workplaces, it was 82 in there, so I waved them off and said "atsui desu" which means I'm hot.
Next, my stylist, Masahiro, came over and introduced himself. He knew a little English, and I met him in the middle with a little Japanese, which impressed him. I told him a wanted a trim, just 2 centimeters taken off and freshen up my look. I also told him it had to be easy for me to do each morning, wash & go only. He seemed to understand this but said he wanted to cut 3 centimeters instead. This made me smile because I read online that the Japanese get a little crazy with the scissors once they get you in the chair!! Plus, no one had ever negotiated my hair with me like that!! But I said sure.
So off to the shampoo chair I went with a new guy. He covered me with a blanket, put a paper towel over my face to not mess up my makeup (like I was wearing any...), and started his job. His English was limited, but he was excited to talk to me. I got to hear about his trip to New York, how he wants to move to Tokyo, and how he'd like to study English but it's hard since they work 6 days per week (including holidays!).
Back to Masahiro, who started cutting away. I had also read online that salons love when gaijin come in because they don't usually get the opportunity to work on foreigner hair. This salon was a happening place, with staff of about 20. But whenever anyone wasn't busy, they stood in the background and watched me get my hair done. Most of the time, they stood just outside my line of vision in the mirror, but the place was all windows, so I could still see them in the reflection!
Once Masahiro and I were satisfied with my new 'do, he sent me back to the talkative shampoo boy, where I got the blanket & face towel treatment again and my hair conditioned. Then I got a shoulder, neck, and head massage before finally getting my hair blow dried. Again, all of the workers were gathered around watching, and they kept passing around the blow dryer, so in total I had 3 different people blow dry my hair!! LOL. The whole experience took about 90 minutes and was so funny! Masahiro kept telling me he could do my hair coloring next time, too. So either my grown out highlights look like crap, or he really wants the opportunity to work on my hair again!
Finally, it's paying time. I am escorted to the desk, and my coat and purse reappear. (Only in Japan could they get away with this... most Americans would never let their purse out of their sight!) The damage was about $42, and there's no tipping. I've gotten used to the high prices in Japan, so I didn't this was a bad deal. Besides I did get some great treatment and that back & neck massage!! Masahiro and the shampoo boy might be seeing me again in a couple months!!
Sorry my new haircut pic is at the top this time, but blogger.com had a little attitude today, so it's the best I could do!!
